While sleeping, I woke up to a short, loud sound. Apparently I had forgotten to switch off the alarm on my phone! The hands on the clock pointed to half-past 8. With that, I jumped out of the bed and allowed my growling stomach to lead me to the breakfast room of the Hotel Prinsenhof.

2015 is the year to visit Belgium! Book your tickets before everyone does, Belgium is becoming the next big travel destination in Europe…

Spring 2015 is almost over, and I was thinking - while sipping on my martini in the bowler bar - about my next blog post. Something on summer? Errr…No. I like to think what matters is what my readers resonate with, not a vague subject. For example, whenever I bump into a fellow guest at Hotel Prinsenhof I’m frequently confronted with the same question, “What should I visit in Bruges?”.

I was freezing but I went up the Halletoren (a.k.a. Belfort), my hands balled against the cold, watching the crowds below. I see couples like penguins huddling to keep warm during this cold snap. It’s a subject I’m reminded of every time I see days becoming crisp and gray - with wind blowing cold as misery through the dreary trees. At these times Bruges gives me a feeling of profound melancholy - a perfect opportunity to relax and reminisce with your loved ones.

As I leave Hotel Prinsenhof I get pushed along with the river of people heading to the central market place. While I’m weaving through the crowds, clearly disrupting the natural flow of the foot traffic overflowing from boutiques and shops, I see people around me take little notice of a tourist. Knowing my own inhibitions, I wait to see if de bruggelingen get annoyed… or even angry.